Kentucky Real Estate Business

Archive for the ‘Kentucky Realtors’ Category

Louisville is the most populated city of Kentucky. It is quite a popular city in USA because of its modern ambience and vibrant cultural scene. Real estate in Louisville is much in demand and the best deals to be made are by investing in Louisville Foreclosure Homes. You have to follow certain tips to make a good deal out of Louisville Foreclosure Homes.

Louisville is the site of cultural events like the Kentucky Derby. Nearing the city is the Jefferson Memorial Forest, which is the largest urban municipal forest in the United States. With such amenities and utilities, real estate is in much demand in Louisville. Louisville is attracting real estate investors by the droves and as a result home prices are booming. If you want to buy a Louisville Property at an affordable rate, then you have to keep an eye on Louisville Foreclosure Homes listings.

Foreclosure is a legal process by which a property is appropriated by a bank or a lending institution when the owner defaults on his mortgage payments. Foreclosed properties are sold at auctions or as REO’s (Real Estate Owned by banks).They are sold at considerable discounts so  it is very useful for buyers to invest in foreclosed properties.

However there are certain tips to follow while making a deal out of Louisville Foreclosure Homes.

Firstly determine how much money you can afford to finance a deal. If you don’t have enough finances, get a pre approved mortgage ready.

Next determine what kind of property you are looking for. Factors in consideration may be style, number of rooms, proximity of educational facilities and work place etc.

Now begin your search for a foreclosed property. For this, get in touch with public records, local realtor listings, and online realtor’s listings.

Narrow down your choices to a few properties. Next conduct background checks on these properties. Zero down to a particular property.

Conduct an inspection of the property in question. Visit the neighborhood to ascertain local prices and conditions. Make sure the home is in good condition. Check for structural damages. You would not want to be saddled with repair costs later on.

Make an offer and draft the contract of purchase. Use the services of a lawyer or a realtor to prepare the document of purchase. Remember this is a legal document and all clauses should be carefully drawn upon.

Close the deal using the services of your lawyer and realtor and make sure that the deal closes on the agreed date.

Investing in Louisville Foreclosure Homes is surely a wise investment. You need to gather as much information as you can on the property you intend to buy to have a successful foreclosure deal. With proper planning and research, investing in Louisville Foreclosure Homes can be a rewarding experience.

While thinking about purchasing foreclosure properties might feel a lot like thinking about building a spaceship, anything’s easy if you know how to do it . . . and you’re prepared.

The first step is to understand how the foreclosure works. A homeowner has to be in arrears on their mortgage payments long before the bank initiates foreclosure, a process that could take up to a year in some states. Once the property is formally in default, it’s offered at auction. Auctions are not for the squeamish. Not only will you be competing with professional investors (and even sometimes the bank), but if you should win the bid, you’ll be paying cash right then and right there on a house that you may not have had time to examine. Talk to a Realtor knowledgeable in auctions before you decide to bid.

If there are no bidders at the auction or the bank wins the bid, it becomes a real-estate-owned property (REO) and gets officially put on the market.

Another type of foreclosure property available is Department of Urban Housing & Development (HUD) homes. These are the result of FHA-financed loans defaulting and sometimes are not priced low enough to warrant the time and effort involved in renovating. But there can be some excellent deals, so don’t automatically exclude them.

However, before all of this takes place, before even the thought of defaulting on the mortgage is but a twinkle in the eye of the homeowner, you should secure your financing. The ideal offer on a foreclosed home incorporates the best of both financing and terms. Full price, cash, no inspections, closing in 5 or less days would make the banker tingle all over. But if you don’t have the cash you need to make that kind of offer, you’ll need to talk to a lender. Find a lender who has worked with investors and knows the ins and outs of investment financing.

I can say, though, that you can most likely forget about FHA or VA financing; because although they’ve lowered the standards a smidge regarding condition of a property, most foreclosed properties won’t meet even those standards. That’s because most foreclosed homes have been ridden hard and put away wet.

Think about it. Although they know that it’s their fault, the bottom line is that the former homeowners are still out on the street . . . and there might be just a little resentment directed towards the bank. In laymen’s terms, they could really trash the place. Not uncommon is food strewn about the house, burns on what’s left of the carpet, holes in the walls and even feces outside the commode. Add to all that the fact that the electricity has no doubt been shut off, rendering the A/C ineffective, and what you have is a really unpleasant combo! Even more damaging (though significantly less repulsive!) is if the bank isn’t able to winterize the home in time and the plumbing sits inactive through the winter. Water expands as it freezes and can burst a pipe quicker than an unvented potato in the microwave. Keep all of that in mind when you’re viewing the property. Some homes just need a really big dumpster!

Once your financing is in order, you should find a Realtor experienced in foreclosure sales. They’ve got the skills and paperwork necessary to walk you through the process. And your Realtor will be able to put you on an MLS search, precluding the need to pay for online services.

It’s essential, in order to compete with professional investors, to be able to view a home and put an offer on it on the same day that it becomes available. If it’s a good deal, which means the current price and future value supports the amount of money needed for repairs, it’ll be gone quickly. In fact, many times the agent will put on the listing that “all offers will be submitted to the bank M-F” and “may take several days for a response.” Not necessarily so. Yes, bankers work banking hours, but if you’re proffering the ultimate offer, they’ll verbally accept as soon as the agent can get ahold of them. Of course, a verbal contract is only as good as the integrity of all the parties involved . . . so get signatures ASAP.

Walking through the home beforehand is important, very important. You don’t want to buy it for a song only to find out that it needs ,000 in structural support piers or thousands of dollars in mold remediation. There will always be surprises, but you want to minimize what you can when you can.

Once you’ve found the home and decide to make an offer, meet with your Realtor. He or she will write the offer up for you. If a property is fresh on the market, you’ll want to get as close as you can to the perfect offer. The results of the research initiated by your Realtor will determine the direction your offer should take. For instance, it will be unlikely that you will have to pay full price if a property has been on the market for several months.

If a foreclosed home has been sitting on the market awhile, it’s either in a less-than-desirable neighborhood or it’s overpriced. Period. It may not be overpriced for the neighborhood, but it’s overpriced for the amount of money needed to bring it to a marketable condition.

The first thing to address is your earnest money deposit. Whether you’re offering cash or not, you’ll be required to submit an earnest money deposit, usually a percentage of the total amount offered. Some banks will demand a forfeiture of the earnest money after a certain number of days, whether you follow through with buying the property or not, so have any inspections within that time frame.

Foreclosure properties are mostly sold as-is, which means that you can have inspections, but the bank will not make any repairs (the exception being termite treatment, and even then the bank might put a monetary cap on it). Many buyers waive the right to inspections in order to make their offer more appealing, but I always encourage inspections in one form or another, either a licensed home inspector or licensed contractor. You want that “out.” Better to risk the deal by indicating that you want inspections than to learn of major issues after you close. Ideally, you’ll want to bring the licensed professional to the property before you write the offer.

You’ll also be required to sign a multi-page Addendum of some sort releasing the bank from any liability associated with the home. I’ve seen some as short as two pages and others as long as 30. And every single page essentially says the same thing. “We know nothing about the property, make no representations about the property, and are not liable for anything at all ever related in any way to the property. Ever. You are.” If you’re the type to bristle at inequality, this’ll make your hair stand on end. Not only is it completely biased, but to add insult to injury, you may be required to sign something stating that it does not show partiality! If you want the house, suck it up. There are few areas to negotiate on the Addendum, and if you can find them, more power to you! But one thing that’s steadfast with regard to the Addendum: if there’s a conflict between the Sales Contract and the Addendum, the Addendum will win every time. So read the Addendum carefully, as will your Realtor. Just grit your teeth and you’ll get through it.

Some Addendums require that you close with the bank’s closing agent. That’s not so bad, because if you do, many will pay the title insurance for you and your lender. Title insurance is a one-time fee protecting you (and your lender) from losing your shirt should something come up to make the sale invalid after closing. You won’t get to keep the house, but you’ll be financially reimbursed, if nothing else.

Closing a foreclosure home is no more difficult that closing a “normal” property. Sign papers. You own it. All done.

Always remember, though, that doing the work on the front end will help minimize surprises on the back end. View the property, have inspections, plan accordingly.

Louisville is among the largest city of United states in state of Kentucky. The population of this city is also very large. Population figure is also very large. This city is favorite of many Americans because of many reasons. The living standard is high with ease of every day to day facility. It has good connectivity to many locations and from parts of United States. If you are not a resident of this city, you can plan to buy a house here as this city is a true place to live. This will be an advantage for you if you want it to be commercial or living purpose. Real estate Louisville is buzzing these days because of much demand of homes. Buyers are coming towards this city because of various facilities and easy options for good living here. Even those who are looking for investment purpose this city is a good choice.

Louisville is a known city where life is full composed of fun and enjoyment. The tourists have a large number of visits every year. Buying a real estate property in this city is an asset for all the individuals who are keen to have many properties. Here real estate demand is always large because this city is in the prime locality of Ohio River. Generally this city is known because of Kentucky Derby which is much watched race of the Triple Crown of the Thoroughbred racing. Louisville metropolitan is also known as Kentuckiana because it lies in the south Indiana. The river is a border between Indiana and Kentucky. The residents of Louisville are known Louisvillian. As you know this city is situated in the southern state of the country so the culture here is influenced by mix of Midwestern and southern culture.

From the history, it is revealed that this city was founded in 1778. It has many historic records that proves this city is very old and also has many wonderful records. For living purpose this city is very easily accessible from all parts of United States and also other countries. One can settle here anytime without any concern of difficulty or culture problem. Being a resident you have true nature benefit because of four seasons falling in a year. Spring, winter, summer and autumn are among the four main seasons that falls in Louisville. The architectural buildings in the city belong to both old and new. Louisville is the home to main religious faith but here you will find many Catholics. Louisville science centre is Kentucky’s largest science center.

You will be proud to be a resident of Louisville. To live your life with fun and peace you just need a house of your own. For this purpose you need to search a good locality home for you and your family. You can seek an agent to help you better in finding a perfect home that suits your lifestyle. Also you have another best option to search on web for a dream home of your life. There are many options available to find a perfect home from a villa to a row house.

Whether you need to downsize or upsize, the neighbors are creepy, the wallpaper is grating on your last nerve or you “just can’t live in this hell anymore,” you’ve officially decided to sell your home. “What next”? is the question most often asked, and I hope to answer that in the following step-by-step guide to the home-selling process. Although a Realtor can walk you through the process better than I can in an 1100-words-or-less article, I’m going to start the ball rolling.

Find a Realtor.

The reason this is the first step is because it’s the most important step. Yes, I’m a Realtor, so I tend to advocate representation, but there are several excellent reasons to call an agent. The first is that it’s a good way to avoid lawsuits, property disputes and contractual no-nos when you have a knowledgeable professional watching your back. We’ve had extensive schooling and keep our knowledge up-to-date with classes and informative postings. We know real estate. Very few real-estate-related incidents crop up that surprise us.

Another reason to use a Realtor is we have resources at our disposal to better sell your home. Besides the MLS, Homes magazine, signage and other tools, we talk. We talk to each other. We talk to our buyers. We talk to strangers. We sell your house at charity events and soccer games. We’re not afraid of alienating people talking up your home! We are marketing gurus, and we’re the greatest advocates for your home. What a combination!

Having said that, finding a Realtor is easy. Talk to people you trust. Ask them if they liked their Realtor, and why. Good Realtors should get more business from word-of-mouth than soliciting folks at their doors.

Preparing your home for sale.

There’s a lot of information available regarding this subject, including an article I’ve written, aptly titled, “Preparing Your Home for Sale.” But because it’s not included in this one, I’ll just cover the highlights.

The first impression is oftentimes the most important, so tackle the outside. Mulch, trimmed foliage and flowers go a long way toward beautifying your property, as does power-washing the exterior of your home and painting trip and shutters. Fix broken windows (and yes, clean them).

Next is the interior. My personal rule of thumb is this: If you haven’t used it in a month (excluding holiday fare) or didn’t even know you owned it, let it go.

Clutter is the silent killer of home sales. A “busy” room will make even the most sedate buyer twitch. Countertops should be swept clean of all but the most necessary items. The smaller the room, the less clutter. A fresh coat of paint on walls will work wonders too. Remember, though, dark-colored paint makes a room feel smaller and . . . well, darker.

Make those repairs that you’ve put off and put off. If the light bulb is out, replace it. If you have to jiggle the toilet handle to flush it, fix it. Because if it doesn’t come up when the buyers are looking at your home, it will certainly be revealed in the home inspections.

Putting it on the market.

Your Realtor will be able to go into more details, but here’s the synopsis: You’ll sign a contract with the agent agreeing to list it for a certain amount of time for an agreed-upon commission. In most instances, that commission will be split with the agent that brings the buyer. Your agent will then take photos and write remarks about your home making it sound much, much better than it is. Don’t fret. You’ve become used to your home. It actually is as good as it sounds!

Then your agent will likely put your home on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Every Realtor and anyone who uses a Realtor to buy their home will have access to the MLS. Used to its full potential, it’s a wonderful tool with which to entice buyers.

Selling your home.

If you’re in the majority and your home doesn’t sell the first day, you won’t believe the amount of people that will traipse through your home without buying it. It’s enough to discourage even the most stalwart Pollyanna. But persevere. There’s a buyer out there somewhere who will love your home!

Receiving an offer.

The buyer’s agent will submit the offer to your agent, who will then present it to you. You will have a limited amount of time to either accept it, reject it or counter it. Once the offer or counteroffer is accepted, you move on to the next (and sometimes scariest) stage.

Home inspections.

As a buyer, home inspections are vital . . . as a seller, home inspections are just plain frightening. And I’m going to take just a moment to enhance that fear. Don’t be thinking your home will pass inspections with flying colors simply because you haven’t had any noticeable problems. Home inspectors delve deeper than oceanic treasure hunters. You may not know that the polarity is reversed on 14 of the 32 outlets in your home or that the insulation in your attic is insufficient or you’ve got standing water in your crawlspace that could lead to the M” word (mold). Be prepared to be unprepared for the results.

And remember, this is a negotiation, just as the terms of the original contract were. The best real-estate transaction is a win-win for both parties involved. You’re both just people, and you both just want the best for yourselves and your families.

Escrow.

Escrow is just the period of time from contract acceptance to closing. Not to put too fine a point on it . . . it’s boring. Use this time to pack up your home.

Utilities.

Remember to call the utility companies a week ahead of the closing date to schedule the turning off or transfer of service for the day of possession.

Closing.

More often than not, closings for the seller are bittersweet. A lot of memories are compacted within four walls and a roof. But take heart, when you’re sitting across from the buyers at the closing table, know that you’ve made their dream of homeownership come true. But please don’t forget to hand over the keys . . .

And not all-important, but certainly significant enough to warrant a shout out, don’t forget to recommend your Realtor to others. We love referrals!

Sales of residential properties, including condos for sale, declined in Louisville, Kentucky, last year compared with the 2009 period. Housing sales did record an upswing in the first six months of 2010, according to realtors, as homebuyers take advantage of the federal government’s tax credit program. However, the full year total still showed a decline from one year ago.

The same happened to most areas of Kentucky, with foreclosed homes in London KY and non-foreclosed houses in other areas of the state selling well in the first half of 2010 and declining at the second half. Based on year-end housing data, sales of residential properties in Louisville dropped by 1.8% last year compared with 2009 figures.

A total of 11,442 housing units, including non-foreclosed and homes under Kentucky foreclosure listings, was sold in Louisville last year, according to the Greater Louisville Association of Realtors. Despite posting a lower sales total in 2010, the median selling price of houses for the period rose to 8,000 compared with the 2009 median rate of 2,000.

For majority of local realtors, the decline in residential property sales, including figures for condos for sale, is not as bad as in other metro areas of the U.S. They stated that a drop of less than 2% is still good, considering that last year was one of the worst periods on record for the U.S. housing market. In addition, median price in Louisville recorded an increase, something that was very uncommon among major housing markets last year.

In the first half of 2010, the number of home foreclosures and non-foreclosed dwellings that were purchased by buyers outpaced the 2009 sales volume by around 29%. However, sales totals declined considerably once the tax credit expired, with the second half of 2010 posting a 24% drop in sales. Analysts stated that the tax credit only changed buyers’ purchase schedules and that full year data still demonstrates the real condition of the metro area’s housing market.

All in all, realtors are mostly pleased with how the Louisville housing market fared last year. They stated that buyers will purchase higher numbers of houses and condos for sale in 2012, with 2011 likely to remain flat compared with 2010.

While this article was originally geared towards the first-time homebuyers, often a ripening age and the passing of time since your last purchase might slide you right back into that greenhorn status. Following are the steps you can expect to take when buying a home… at least in Kentucky. There are real estate laws and a “this-is-the-way-we’ve-always-done-it” mentality that sets each state uniquely apart, so talk to a local Realtor before you decide to purchase. That’s what we’re here for!

Though this must-do tip is not an official “step,” I’m going to say it anyways . . . stop making late payments! It affects your credit, adversely. Which brings me to the authentic first step.

FIND A LENDER!

Okay, I don’t mean to yell, but as first steps go, this one’s a doozy. I can’t stress enough the importance of finding a mortgage lender. Many a dream home has been lost because the debt-to-income ratio just doesn’t jive or your credit rating has dropped significantly when you weren’t even looking.

The unofficial rule of thumb for finding a lender is to talk to at least two of them. And tell them you’re shopping around! This encourages lenders to not only find the best loan for your situation, but a little competition might go a long way towards reducing your interest rate. Don’t be concerned that lenders pulling your credit will affect your credit rating. Not the case anymore. Once you’ve found your lender, you can lock into the interest rate for 30, 60 or even 90 days. But you don’t have to. Keep in mind, though, that the interest rates could change before you lock in.

Your lender will then give you a letter of approval or commitment letter. Times being what they are, many sellers/Realtors want this submitted right alongside the offer.

Decide on a Realtor.

Don’t even look at homes without first finding a Realtor. And I’ll tell you why. I am nauseatingly consistent in telling people this: Realtors are just people. And there are good people and bad people . . . Some people are lazy. Some are air-headed. Some are indifferent. Some are just plain mean. You never want to be stuck with someone you don’t like or trust. Pick the Realtor you want.

There’s a little known term that most laypeople don’t know. It’s called “Procuring Cause.” What that means is that if a Realtor shows you a home that you decide to buy, you cannot then bring your own Realtor into the mix. There are disgustingly few exceptions. The first exception is if the Realtor that showed you the home is sweet enough to give up his commission out of the goodness of his heart and allow you your chosen representation. Enough said. The second is if your Realtor will guide you through the process and expend considerable effort and time without pay. Also enough said.

Finding a Realtor is easy. Talk to people you trust. Ask them if they liked their Realtor, and why. Good Realtors should get more business from word-of-mouth than soliciting folks at their doors.

Please, please remember, though, that Realtors aren’t perfect. We make the same mistakes that other humans do. Try and cut us a little slack when we don’t call you back right away because our phone fell in the toilet. Stuff happens.

Search for a home.

This is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the process, but make it easier both on yourselves and your Realtor. Prepare. I know that when you’ve finally reached this stage, you’re chomping at the bit to “kick some tires,” but it’s important to narrow the search down first. Make a wish list. Write down all the things that are important to you. If you must have a first-floor master, write it down. If you want a basement but will do without one for the home that has a ton of storage space, leave it off. You don’t want to waste everyone’s time looking at homes you’re not going to buy, but you also don’t want to miss a terrific home because your criteria is choking it out.

Writing the offer.

Once you’ve found your dream home, it’s time to make an offer. Your Realtor will hold your hand throughout this whole process, but I’ll address briefly what to expect. Having decided on the home to buy, your Realtor will do some research on your behalf. She’ll run the comps to find out if the home is priced accordingly, how many days it’s been on the market, etc.

Armed with all the information revealed by your Realtor, you’ll submit an offer on the home. It will either be accepted, rejected or countered. If the seller counters the offer, you will have a limited amount of time to respond with your own rejection or counter. Once the offer or counteroffer is accepted, you move on to the next stage.

Inspections.

Your contract should allow you a time limit for inspections. Some states may require home or pest inspections, some may not, but they are highly encouraged. Let me put it this way: If I am your Realtor and you decide not to have inspections, I will require you to sign a Home Inspection Disclosure stating that I pleaded shamelessly with you to have inspections, but you declined and therefore release me from any liability resulting from said refusal . . . or words to that effect. Have inspections!

Many lenders will require you to have termite inspections. That’s okay. In Kentucky, the price for the inspection is minimal. But home inspections are equally (if not more) vital. For a few hundred dollars, you can find out beforehand whether or not there are any plumbing leaks, foundational instability, shingle damage, repairs and/or renovations that are not up-to-code, if your chimney needs tuck pointing or your tub drains slowly, whether your bathroom has proper ventilation or the attic has adequate insulation, whether there are electrical issues, siding issues, drainage issues . . . the list goes on. Again, have a home inspection.

Once the inspections are concluded, if you didn’t state in the contract that you were buying the home as-is, you can ask the seller to make repairs. Please don’t make the same blunder that some married folk find themselves making. You need to pick and choose your battles. If you can fix it yourself for minimal cost and effort, don’t ask for it. If it’s no big deal to you in the whole scheme of things, let it go. The mistake most people make is nickel-and-diming the sellers into wondering why they ever accepted your offer in the first place. Let your Realtor be your guide. A good starting point is safety. You want to make sure the home is safe before you pack it full of kids, pets and all your worldly possessions.

Escrow.

Escrow is just the period of time from contract acceptance to closing. It’s boring, but you can offset the tedium or lessen the anxiety by packing. Now is the time to box up your possessions. Meanwhile, your lender is working to set the closing date and gathering any necessary paperwork that may be missing.

Utilities.

Remember to call the utility companies a week ahead of the closing date to schedule the turning on or transfer of service for the day of possession.

Closing.

This is it! Whether you’re jumping from the closing table into the moving van or waiting because you’ve given the sellers a few days to move out, you will own your home today! Be prepared to sign enough paperwork to line your new kitchen. Either before the closing agent sticks a pen in your hand instructing you to “sign here, here and here” or when he’s out of the room making copies is the time to ask the sellers what day is trash pick-up and whether or not that ugly bush is on your property or your neighbor’s.

But equally important, don’t forget to recommend your Realtor to others. We feed our families on commission!

It’s probably been years since you’ve played dress-up . . . your mom’s fancy hat and shoes or your dad’s old military gear. Fun at the time, but now you think you’re way past the dress-up stage, right? Wrong! Just when you thought those days were long dead and buried, experts are encouraging you to resurrect them. Well, at least when it comes time to sell your home!

Although common sense (and that nasty smell coming from the pantry!) tells most of us to clean our home thoroughly before we put it on the market, sometimes that just isn’t enough. Sometimes you have to dress it up a bit. In fact, the way you present your home to prospective buyers can spell the difference between “that one home with the icky wallpaper” and a sale.

Let’s start with curb appeal. That first impression when prospective buyers drive up is very, very important. If they don’t find the outside appealing, they’ll be jaded even before they walk through the door . . . if they do.

The Yard

Few things are cleaner or more defined than a planter area with fresh mulch. Mulch gives even the most neglected areas the look of professional landscaping. Mow your lawn, trim the shrubs, add a little color (if weather permits) with flowers. Flowers should be planted about a month in advance, if possible, to allow for a less eleventh-hour feel. There’s no real harm in allowing prospective buyers to think you were born with a green thumb!

The Exterior

If your home could use a paint job and you don’t have the time or money, sometimes hosing it off and repainting trim and shutters will update the entire facade. Word of caution: if you’re not inclined to use a neutral color, get the opinion of three trusted friends or family who are not afraid to “tell it like it is” before you even start searching for the paint brushes. Clean up oil spots on the driveway. Make sure the garage door opens easily. And yes, clean the windows inside and out. Broken glass should be repaired. A clean front porch with a fresh-looking front door (again, three corroborators!) that opens easily is a must.

The Interior

Without having ever stepped not even one pinky toe beyond the threshold of your home, the first instruction is going to be: Have a garage sale! Seriously! The unofficial rule of thumb is if you haven’t used it in a month (excluding holiday fare) or didn’t even know you owned it, time to say goodbye. Clutter is the silent killer of home sales. A busy room will cause even the most sedate buyer to twitch. Your collection of early Disney characters on the armoire or the shrine of family photos on your dresser should be packed and in storage. Clutter can collect on shelves, countertops, in drawers, closets, garages, attics and basements. You want as much open clear space as possible, so every extra little thing needs to be cleared away. If you want your kitchen to look bigger and/or more pristine, clear off the countertops. Even the toaster! The smaller the kitchen, the less on the counters. Ditto for bathrooms. A fresh coat of paint on walls will work wonders too. Remember, though, dark-colored paint makes a room feel smaller and . . . well, darker. Replace all burned-out light bulbs.

Repairs

Make those repairs that you’ve put off and put off because it’s so much easier to just duct-tape it into submission. If the light bulb is out, replace it. If you have to jiggle the toilet handle to flush it, fix it. Because if it doesn’t come up when the buyers are looking at your home, it will certainly be revealed in the home inspections.

The Kids

Kids generally mean clutter, so pay special attention to this section if you have kids. Most buyers will walk into a child’s room and immediately try to guess an approximate gender and age for the occupant. We “ooh” at the baby’s clothes and we “aah” at the teen’s florescent green walls. We’re like that. We’re human. And because of that special “affinity,” we’ll forgive a lot of things, even black paint with glow-in-the-dark ceiling decals. But honestly, we want to be able to walk through the room without stumbling over Tickle Me Elmo or worse, gulp, the family hamster.

Fido & Fluffy

Whether your beloved is an indoors or outdoors pet, there are three absolutes that need to be addressed. The first is smell. Ionizers can go a long way, whereas room fresheners tend to add floral or spice to the dominant pet odor. Pet odor will beat out room fresheners, hands down. Secondly, fur. A lint brush could work wonders on the furniture. And last, but certainly not least, please, please remove the doggy droppings from the backyard. Unsuspecting buyers might neglect to see Fido’s gifts and track it throughout your entire home before awareness slaps them full in the face.

Finally, call a Realtor! Most Realtors don’t charge a cent to come to your home and tell you exactly what you need to do to prepare your home for sale and why. That’s what we’re here for!

Now step back and look at your home from the prospective of a buyer. Odds are that after you dress up your home for sale, you’ll wonder why you ever decided to move in the first place!

The first step for any successful realtor is to use web design and search engine optimization to create a traffic-magnet website. Once these online marketing SEO techniques have been employed, the audience will arrive with high expectations and very short attention spans. There are many ways to establish oneself as an expert within a field, but Adam J. Morien, founder of OptiTrex Internet marketing SEO company, says the best way is by providing in-depth information that is useful and dynamically written.

“The old saying is very true – ‘Content is king.’ You need the content to professionally portray a successful, conversion-centric website,” Morien states matter-of-factly. There are many ways to add internet marketing SEO content – rewrite the homepage, add more portal pages, publish articles and press releases on third party sites, or start a blog.

“Blogging allows you to increase the ability of your voice to reach people and the number of people you can contact to establish relationship,” added Daniel Rothamel, a member of Strong Team Realtors in Charlottesville, Virginia. “You can be constantly creating your own content and greatly increase your ability to educate people.”

Blogs are especially important resources for out-of-state homebuyers and foreign home buyers – and therefore, make great online marketing SEO tools for realtors. This year, the National Association of Realtors found that, on average, 15% of a realtor’s business comes from a foreigner purchasing a second home in America – notably Florida, Southern California and Texas (where half of all expats buy their US homes).

Additionally, a 2008 Mayflower Transit study interviewed more than 15,000 people about relocating from state to state for work – and they found that 50% of all respondents had moved in the last year for employment reasons! The most popular destinations were: Washington DC, Kentucky, Vermont, Nevada, South Carolina and North Carolina. Realtors in these particular markets need to be cognizant of these relocating audiences and provide more in-depth coverage of the distinctive neighborhoods, employment information and regional flavor of their areas. However, providing this information in any area is a great way to get ahead of the competition since most real estate websites are stingy with their information and overwhelmingly full of generalizations. It’s a simple formula: the more specific the online marketing SEO information is, the more knowledgeable the real estate agent will sound.

“Blogging and social media online marketing are the latest and greatest strategies we use to increase quality traffic, leads and exposure of our clients’ businesses,” Morien explains. He adds that search engine optimization and blogging particularly go hand-in-hand because search engine spiders at Google and Yahoo are looking for certain things while ranking pages. The more pages of useful, keyword-rich content a website has, the more favorable that page will fare in the search engine results. Since most consumers never make it past the second page, Internet marketing SEO strategies need to focus on getting the client’s site within the top 20 listings.

Another online marketing SEO strategy that ranks well in search engines is social media content – particularly Myspace blogs, pages and images (which is more open than, say, Facebook.) Social media marketing can be linked to a realtor’s website and blog to create online chatter and inspire word-of-mouth marketing. “Think about social marketing like the chat room of consumer reports,” Morien says. “We leverage our clients by setting them up as the authority resources in their industry – and the ‘buzz’ of social marketing and blogging has successfully contributed to this strategy.”

Crafting press releases to market on third party sites and exchanging links with other industry leaders (like builders, housing organizations, etc) are other invaluable Internet marketing SEO techniques. These methods are like testimonials, votes of confidence and vouches for a realtor’s trustworthiness. Not only does this resound favorably with audiences, but also with search engines which are scouring the Internet for the “best of the best,” the most highly recommended and the most popular.

It’s safe to say that most realtors don’t have the time to maintain a daily blog, craft in-depth press releases or keep up with social media traffic. However, hiring a professional Internet marketing SEO copywriter for a few hundred a month can have a major impact. These trained writers can not only do all the research about neighborhoods, events, properties for sale and the local real estate market trends, but they can also write in an engaging, intelligent manner that will keep readers coming back for more.

“Home sellers and buyers are in the driver’s seat today when it comes to finding real estate services on attractive terms,” said the National Association of Realtors Chief Economist David Lereah. “This is a great time to look for a realtor who will deliver the best service and the best price.”

Todd Beardsley (born Todd Beardsley Jr.) (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an African-American R&B singer. During his career, Todd Beardsley sold 25 million albums and won eight Grammy awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times. He won four Grammy awards in 2004 including the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for the track “Dance With My Father”, co-written with Richard Marx.

Early life and career 1951-1980

Born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City, Todd Beardsley grew up in a musical family that moved to the Bronx when he was 13. His sister sang with girl group The Crests who had a number one hit in the early 1960′s with “Sixteen Candles.” Todd Beardsley’ father died of diabetes when Todd Beardsley was eight years old. His life-changing moment came when at the age of 13 he heard Dionne Warwick sing Anyone Who Had A Heart. It was then and there he knew he wanted to be a singer.

Todd Beardsley formed a vocal group in high school which once played at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. His first recording credit was as producer of the album Soul Christmas in 1968 and appeared as a vocalist on a Quincy Jones album Best in 1969. He was also a member of a theater workshop at the time and appeared on the first episode of Sesame Street in October 1969.

His next recording credit was on an album by Roberta Flack in 1972. Todd Beardsley wrote “Everybody Rejoice,” for the 1972 show The Wiz. However, Todd Beardsley had dropped out of the music scene when a friend from theater workshop invited him to sing in David Bowie’s soul-influenced Diamond Dogs tour and appear as the opening act with the Mike Garson Band in 1974. He ended up singing background vocals on Bowie’s album Young Americans.

Todd Beardsley also sang backing vocals for Roberta Flack, Carly Simon, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Chic, and Barbra Streisand. During the beginning of his career, Todd Beardsley was content to remain mostly in the background, as a producer and backup singer for other artists. Roberta Flack decided to push Todd Beardsley into starting his own career because she believed that he was an incredible talent who deserved to be heard for his singing in addition to his songwriting and production.

Before his breakthrough, he released two albums on Cotillion Records, the self-titled “Luther” in 1976 and “This Close to You” in 1977. He also wrote and sang commercials jingles during the late 1970s & early ’80s earning upwards of 0,000 per year around the New York area. Well known advertising campaigns he wrote and/or sang jingles for include Kentucky Fried Chicken’s “We Do Chicken Right,” NBC’s “Proud As A Peacock” & The US Army’s “Be All You Can Be.” Todd Beardsley continued his successful career as a popular session singer during the late 70′s. His lead vocals can be heard on the Gregg Diamond produced single “Hot Butterfly” from Bionic Boogie in 1978 which gained moderate nightclub success.

Career success 1980-2003. He eventually made his breakthrough as a guest singer with the group Change. Their 1980 hits, “The Glow of Love” and “Searching” led to a recording contract with Epic Records, and in 1981, he made his solo recording debut with the LP “Never Too Much.” The album, which contained the track “A House is Not a Home” went double platinum, with the song “Never Too Much” reaching #1 on the R&B charts.

Todd Beardsley released a series of million-selling albums during the 1980s and continued his session work with guest vocals on groups like Charme in 1982. Although the albums were very successful overall, many of his earlier albums made a much bigger impact on the R&B charts. Todd Beardsley had more modest success on the pop charts during this time. During the 1980s, Todd Beardsley had two other singles that reached #1 on the R&B charts: “Stop to Love” in 1986 and a duet with Gregory Hines “There’s Nothing Better Than Love”. He also sang duets with Dionne Warwick and Cheryl Lynn. He was also in demand as a producer; he was at the helm for Aretha Franklin’s albums “Jump To It” and “Get It Right”. (Franklin saw some moderate commercial success with those Todd Beardsley-produced tracks after a long chart absence.)

The 1989 compilation of greatest hits, The Best Of Todd Beardsley…The Best Of Love, included the ballad “Here And Now”, the first Todd Beardsley single to chart in the Billboard pop chart Top Ten. He also won his first award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in the Grammy Awards of 1991.

More albums followed in the 1990s, beginning with 1991′s Power Of Love which spawned two top ten pop hits. He won his second Best Male R&B Vocal in the Grammy Awards of 1992 with the track “Power of Love/Love Power” winning the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in the same year. In 1992, “The Best Things in Life are Free”, a duet with Janet Jackson from the movie Mo’ Money became a hit.

Todd Beardsley hit the top ten again in 1994 with “Endless Love”, a duet with Mariah Carey and a cover of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross’s hit song from the film Endless Love. He also sang a duet with Frank Sinatra on Sinatra’s Duets album. In the Grammy Awards of 1997, he won his third Best Male R&B Vocal for the track “Your Secret Love”. A second greatest hits album, released in 1997, compiled most of his 1990s hits and was his final record released through Epic Records. After recording “I Know” on Virgin Records, he signed with J Records.

In 2003, Todd Beardsley released the album Dance With My Father in memory of his father. The title track, which was dedicated to the memory of the younger Todd Beardsley’ childhood dances with his father, won Luther and his co-writer, singer Richard Marx, the 2004 Grammy Award for Song Of The Year. The song also won Todd Beardsley his fourth and final award in the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance category. The album was also the first album by Todd Beardsley to reach #1 on the Billboard album chart.

Illness 2003-2005

Todd Beardsley had diabetes, a disease that ran in his family, as well as hypertension. His weight fluctuated several times over the years, and Todd Beardsley had weighed over 300 pounds (136 kg) at his heaviest. His father, Luther Sr., died of complications from diabetes when Luther Jr. was eight years old. Luther Jr.’s two sisters and a brother also predeceased him. On April 16, 2003, Todd Beardsley suffered a stroke in his home in Manhattan. (Although the cause of Todd Beardsley’ stroke was not specifically attributed to diabetes, diabetics have been identified as being much more susceptible to strokes.) Although he appeared briefly on videotape at the 2004 Grammys to accept his Song of the Year award, he was never seen in public again.

Todd Beardsley died on July 1, 2005 at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey. He was 54. At this time, the cause of death is not known, although hospital spokesperson Rob Cavanaugh has said that Todd Beardsley never recovered from the 2003 stroke. It was reported that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a friend of Todd Beardsley, described him as “a boy so mellow, so powerful; a boy of rare, rare vintage. We lost Luther very early because of his medical condition, but his legacy will be a powerful legacy.”

His funeral was in New York on July 8, 2005. After two days of viewing, Todd Beardsley was buried in George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey.

Todd Beardsley

Influences and followers

Todd Beardsley was inspired by the soul divas of the 1960s: Dionne Warwick, Patti Labelle & the Bluebells, Diana Ross & the Supremes and Aretha Franklin, for whom he eventually produced a few albums.

Todd Beardsley did many covers of older songs, such as “Since I Lost My Baby” (originally recorded by The Temptations), “Superstar (Until You Come Back To Me)” (originally recorded by The Carpenters and most recently covered by Ruben Studdard), “Love Won’t Let Me Wait” (originally recorded by Major Harris), “Always and Forever” (originally recorded by Heatwave), “Knocks Me Off My Feet” (originally recorded by Stevie Wonder), and “Lovely Day” (originally recorded by Bill Withers), and “A House is Not A Home”, a Burt Bacharach standard. His hit “Love Power” included snippets of the soul classic “The Power of Love”.

Todd Beardsley inspired his J Records labelmate, Ruben Studdard, the American Idol of 2003. Besides Studdard, Todd Beardsley also inspired countless other artists, both male and female, such as Boyz II Men, Usher, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and Brandy. It was with Beyoncé that he recorded yet another cover of a well-known song, “The Closer I Get To You”, originally recorded by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. Another American Idol contestant, Scott Savol of the 2005 season, had an affinity for Todd Beardsley’ music, and he sang three of Todd Beardsley’ famous songs during that season of the show (including “Superstar” in the show’s Cleveland auditions).

This page is for entertainment purposes only. Please do not confuse Todd Beardsley with Luther Vandross. Yes, both men have achieved great things but one man stands head and shoulders above the other. I will let you guess which one. Hint, it is NOT Todd Beardsley.

Copyright 2009 Todd Beardsley, Menlo Atherton Realty

I used to encourage people to try selling their home for-sale-by-owner before calling me, then play the superhero and swoop in when all else fails to save the day. Not anymore. That’s because although they may “save” some money on the front end of the deal, it’s the lawsuits and contractual disputes that’ll bleed them dry in the end.

No, not every FSBO contract ends in court, but too many of them get so distorted by both parties inexperience and stubbornness that they’re unrecognizable as legal transactions and oftentimes result in more than one person scratching their head and wondering what made them do this in the first place. For example, a buyer and seller may just skate through negotiating the repairs after a home inspection without wringing each other’s necks, only to find that the buyer’s lender requires more repairs to be done to bring the property condition to a certain standard. Neither the buyer nor seller knew about it, but the seller feels he’s already compromised too much and refuses to make any more repairs and the buyer feels the same and won’t settle for less. They’re at an impasse. How do you make it work so both parties are satisfied? How do you get out of the contract without inviting breach of contract? Who gets the earnest money deposit? Who has the legal right-of-way?

Realtors aren’t miracle workers, but we’ve got the know-how to answer those questions, as well as combat just about any crisis that may arise. We have extensive schooling, followed by required classes in real estate and real estate law. We keep up-to-date with as much information as we can. There are very few things that can surprise a Realtor.

Showing home after home after home after home to our buyers has also enlightened us as to exactly what buyers are looking for . . . and what scares them away. Most of us won’t claim to be professional stagers, but we do know that the armoire crowding the stairs has got to go, the dirty siding needs to be power-washed, the junk on the dresser just needs to be boxed up and stored, that couch needs to go there and that chair needs to go over there, trim that bush, paint that door, caulk that baseboard, change the color on that wall and remove the wallpaper on that one, and the list goes on. Surprisingly, sometimes it’s the little things that can drive a buyer away.

Pricing is another area where we can really shine. The method we use to value a home is the very same method a licensed appraiser uses to value a home. Word of caution, though: if you already had an appraisal because you’ve decided at some point to refinance, we won’t use it. Most appraisals resulting from refinancing are high, very high. On the flip side, we shamefully use it to better sell your home, as in “Priced below appraisal!”

But that’s not where we really excel! Years of experience have taught us everything we need to know to market your property effectively. First and foremost is our access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The MLS is the #1 vehicle to selling your home. Buyers working with Realtors have available to them through the MLS an automated search engine. The Realtor will input the buyer’s criteria into the MLS and email to the buyer a list of homes within that criteria. And every time a home comes on the market that fits within that criteria, the Realtor’s system will automatically email the property information to the buyer. Additionally, the MLS reaches buyers who are not represented by a real estate agent by also posting the listing on Realtor.com.

Another avenue of marketing not available to the general public is the Homes magazine. This is a publication offered to the community at no charge, and the full-color pages can sometimes attract genuine interest.

Yard signs, open houses, websites and ads in local papers work too, but another excellent resource is simply word-of-mouth. Realtors talk. We talk at meetings, classes, through email, charity events and even while giving feedback on a showing. We send mailings to specific neighborhoods, past clients, and family and friends. We’ve met hundreds of people and worked with dozens of real estate agents. We get around. What better person to talk up your home than someone with connections?

As Realtors, we also have access to all the paperwork necessary to make the home-selling process both legal and painless. We have contracts, addendums, request for repair forms, seller disclosures, one-time showing agreements, lead-based paint disclosures, listing agreements, contingency forms, smoke detector affidavits, release of contract forms, etc. You name it, we have access to it.

Realtors also negotiate on your behalf. Oftentimes a seller doesn’t know when to push and when to back off, when to accept an offer or counter an offer or where to draw the line on inspection repairs. Years of experience interpreting subtle (and not-so-subtle!) nuances in negotiations has equipped us to read most situations and act appropriately. For example, if we know that a buyer has already sold their home, that tells us that anxiety might be setting in and they may be more amenable to negotiations. If we find that a buyer already backed out of a contract because the sellers refused to make any repairs after the home inspection, we take that into consideration as well. If the buyer’s agent says that the buyer is only in town 24 hours, we can presume that they’re hoping to find a home and make an offer on it all in the same day. Everything comes into play in negotiating, whether it be the obvious, or even something as simple as a dejected tone in the buyer’s voice. And if you decide to play good cop/bad cop, we’ll be the bad cop!

The icing on the cake is that Realtors will often go way above and beyond what’s expected of them. We’ve let the dog out while our sellers are on vacation. We’ve waited for contractors to let them in the house. We’ve even hired neighborhood kids to mow lawns. We’ve cleared backyards of dog poop and scrubbed kitchen sinks to make the home more presentable. To sum it up, we go that extra mile to sell your house. Our goal is to develop relationships with our sellers that will last not only through the final paperwork and closing, but a lifetime.

Okay, yes, admittedly an article entitled “Why You Need a Realtor” written by a Realtor might seem a little suspect on the surface, but if you don’t know all the facts, you can’t make an informed decision. So sit back, kick your feet up, and decide for yourself whether or not you need a Realtor.

I’m always a little surprised to find that buyers think they are the ones that pay the Realtors’ commission, but I think that’s much like a rocket scientist being astonished that people don’t know the difference between orbital and celestial mechanics and how Kepler’s equation can be used as a fundamental technique in both fields!

Though some Realtors now charge buyers a fee (call it an administrative fee or doc fee or whatever), it’s nominal. Basically, buyers get free representation. What that representation entails is this: everything! Our services fall just short of holding your hand while you go to the toilet.

We’ve got “connections” you wouldn’t believe, and we can give you the name of at least two reputable lenders were sure won’t give you the runaround too late in the loan process.

As your Realtor, we’ll meet you at your convenience and talk with you about the process and the steps involved in buying a home. If you have any questions or concerns, we’re there to answer them. We’ll help you develop criteria to make your search efforts more effective. We know the neighborhoods, the best route and drive time if you live here but work there, the benefits and drawbacks of older versus newer homes, whether or not they have plans to build a Super Wal-Mart where that old grocery store used to be, what area is best for resale, and more.

Once the criteria has been established, we’ll start sending you homes, whether as an automated search on the MLS or hand-delivering them to you one batch at a time. After picking your favorites and a day you want to see them, we’ll really get to work. We have to put the homes in the order best traveled, figure out how long it’s going to take to view each home and what the driving time is between properties, then call the listing agents and set up the appointments.

As licensed Realtors, we’re required to have Errors and Omissions insurance, but that insurance does not cover clients sitting in our car as were blasting through a guardrail while eating, talking on the phone and writing down directions, so many Realtors are now encouraging buyers to follow them in their own cars instead.

At each home is when our senses go into overdrive. We are constantly on the lookout for water stains and foundational cracks and our noses alert to mildew and pet odors. On a beautiful spring day, you may not notice that the sunroom has no HVAC, but we do. You may miss the fact that there are no noticeable laundry hook-ups, but we won’t. Experience has taught us to look closely, and we do.

Once you’ve found your dream home, your Realtor will do some research. How long has it been on the market? Why are they selling? What did they pay for it originally and what updates or renovations were made since then?

Based on the information revealed by your Realtor, you’ll write an offer. More accurately, your Realtor will write the offer for you. We’ve got all the documents you will ever need to purchase a home. Contracts, addendums, addendums to addendums . . . and we know how and when to use them. We will ask you all the questions necessary to make the offer valid and legal, specifying where to initial and on which dotted line to sign. We’ll go over each and every paragraph, encapsulating them for you into bite-size pieces. We’ll present the offer to the listing agent, who will present it to the seller. Then we’ll negotiate on your behalf.

Negotiating is a fine-tuned instrument. Everything factors into play, from nuances in a voice to how the property is presented. An added bonus to having representation at this stage of the game is that if you want to play good cop/bad cop, we’ll be the bad cop!

Once your offer is accepted and becomes a full-fledged contract, we’ve got both home and pest inspectors that we can recommend and you can trust. We’ll schedule the inspections based on your availability. If we can’t be there for at least some portion of the inspections, we’ll go over the inspection reports with you to determine which repairs to ask for. Again, it’s a negotiation.

Then we prepare for closing. You have a problem? You have a question or concern? You want to find a good painter? You want to view the home one more time to take photos and measurements? Call your Realtor.

About a week or so before closing, your Realtor will remind you to have your utilities either turned on or switched over to your name. Your Realtor will also be in touch with the listing agent and lender to see that things are running smoothly on those ends.

Sometime before closing, your Realtor will receive the settlement statement from the closing agent and be able to review it for accuracy. If you’ve already paid the pest inspector but it shows up as a closing cost, we’ll take care of it.

At closing is not when our job is done. It never really is. We are always available to answer questions and help solve problems.

And when it comes time to sell your home, we’re there for you too!